linux-drivers/
drivers/watchdog

Hardware watchdog timer subsystem

A broad collection of hardware watchdog timer drivers covering everything from SoC-integrated timers, Super I/O chips, and PMICs to BMCs and PCI/ISA cards. Watchdogs automatically reset a system if software stops kicking them, and they remain a standard requirement for embedded, industrial, automotive, and server platforms shipping today.

keep conf=0.92 deploy=high replacement=none subsystem=watchdog category=infrastructure
92%

recommendation

It should stay because watchdog timers are standard equipment on embedded boards, industrial controllers, and servers, and the subsystem is under active upstream development. Recent 2026 linux-watchdog traffic shows new hardware support landing (AAEON SRG-IMX8P, Qualcomm maintenance) and current SoC vendors like TI explicitly point their AM62x SDKs at drivers in this directory.

repository signals

194 files
63,190 source lines
589 commits, 5y
+12,466 / −5,891 lines added / removed, 5y
241 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 589 total · active in 58/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 7 commits · +107 −52 2021-05: 25 commits · +176 −389 2021-06: 8 commits · +278 −9 2021-07: 9 commits · +169 −173 2021-08: 11 commits · +260 −734 2021-09: 19 commits · +111 −87 2021-10: 3 commits · +10 −10 2021-11: 22 commits · +978 −441 2021-12: 7 commits · +526 −43 2022-01: 4 commits · +28 −7 2022-02: 21 commits · +508 −298 2022-03: 2 commits · +238 −0 2022-04: 8 commits · +261 −16 2022-05: 4 commits · +230 −6 2022-06: 18 commits · +96 −60 2022-07: 6 commits · +255 −3 2022-08: 22 commits · +285 −99 2022-09: 8 commits · +502 −119 2022-10: 13 commits · +280 −53 2022-11: 12 commits · +196 −41 2022-12: 24 commits · +74 −339 2023-01: 3 commits · +19 −3 2023-02: 10 commits · +134 −179 2023-03: 47 commits · +805 −284 2023-04: 7 commits · +245 −48 2023-05: 4 commits · +24 −35 2023-06: 1 commit · +3 −1 2023-07: 8 commits · +134 −94 2023-08: 17 commits · +409 −59 2023-09: 8 commits · +52 −341 2023-10: 9 commits · +50 −12 2023-11: 8 commits · +62 −22 2023-12: 13 commits · +109 −34 2024-01: 5 commits · +241 −13 2024-02: 5 commits · +44 −5 2024-03: 6 commits · +328 −5 2024-04: 6 commits · +143 −67 2024-05: 10 commits · +77 −61 2024-06: 4 commits · +439 −2 2024-07: 5 commits · +20 −17 2024-08: 4 commits · +309 −29 2024-09: 13 commits · +104 −82 2024-10: 24 commits · +622 −394 2024-11: 4 commits · +16 −2 2024-12: 8 commits · +54 −45 2025-01: 5 commits · +495 −10 2025-02: 3 commits · +17 −16 2025-03: 12 commits · +307 −36 2025-04: 10 commits · +403 −85 2025-05: 6 commits · +34 −33 2025-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-07: 7 commits · +73 −21 2025-08: 15 commits · +176 −47 2025-09: 2 commits · +320 −0 2025-10: 4 commits · +198 −10 2025-11: 12 commits · +150 −327 2025-12: 7 commits · +10 −40 2026-01: 3 commits · +3 −5 2026-02: 2 commits · +12 −12 2026-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. lore.kernel.org

    April 2026 linux-watchdog traffic includes a new AAEON SRG-IMX8P watchdog driver, indicating ongoing enablement for new embedded hardware.

  2. lore.kernel.org

    April 2026 linux-watchdog traffic includes Qualcomm watchdog maintenance, showing active upstream attention rather than retirement.

  3. software-dl.ti.com

    TI's AM62x Linux SDK documents a watchdog driver sourced from drivers/watchdog/rti_wdt.c for current SoCs, supporting continued new-system deployment.

  4. kernel.org

    Kernel.org documents an actively maintained watchdog driver core/framework used by subsystem drivers, indicating the subsystem remains first-class upstream infrastructure.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

This is a live driver subsystem, not a single obsolete device family. lore_activity on drivers/watchdog/Kconfig showed fresh 2026 linux-watchdog patches, including new hardware support and routine maintenance; no removal evidence was found in the sampled lore queries. Web search returned current kernel watchdog API docs and TI AM62x SDK documentation tying a contemporary SoC to drivers/watchdog. Because watchdogs remain standard in embedded, industrial, and server platforms, the directory should be kept.